Waiting with Bated Breath
by LilyRaeK
Summary: The castle is still undergoing repairs during Christmas of 1998 after the Battle of Hogwarts. Fred cannot help as he is still recovering so he sits with Hermione. Although, Hogwarts is known for its sprinkling of mistletoe during the holiday season...


**I'm using a list of '100 Ways to Say I Love You' as a prompt for a bunch of fanfictions. Some will be used together but if anyone wants to use the list or read what may be coming up, I'll put the list in my bio on my profile. Just a warning, they will all be from different fandoms!**

 **30\. "One more chapter…"**

Waiting with Baited Breath

Christmas Eve at Hogwarts always felt more exciting than Christmas at home, Hermione thought. With her mother and father still in Australia without their memories of her and her magical lifestyle, Hermione and Ginny decided to stay at the castle because many families, including the Weasleys, were still hanging around fixing up the damage caused by the war. As the castle was not fully restored yet, McGonagall had decided that only the sixth and seventh years would come back to start with, that way, only some classrooms had to be rushed to be finished and the rest could be done over a longer period. The Great Hall was in perfect condition as were all the common rooms but the majority of the classrooms from the third floor upwards, including the Room of Requirement unfortunately, were still in desperate need of repair.

Fred had been banned by his mother from doing any more work after four in the afternoon. After only recovering in October from his potentially life-threatening accident, he was still being ordered to take it easy and George was keeping an especially close eye on him. And so, Fred retired to the Gryffindor common room where he found Hermione with her nose in her book as per usual. Despite her and Ginny being a part of the family, they weren't required to help restore the castle over Christmas as they had a pile of homework to do which Hermione had already done, of course.

Fred nudged his way through the portrait hole and into the pleasant warmth of the common room. Making his way to the sofa in front of the fire, he stopped to pick up his own book as he had found himself taking up reading by recommendation of the bookworm herself. It gave him something to do while he was in rehabilitation at St Mungo's and it enabled him to get lost in a thousand stories both muggle and magic that he never thought possible despite his extensive imagination. As he moved gently, still sore from both the operation and the strain put on it by helping out around the castle, Hermione lifted her feet up until he sat and then, once settled, she placed them once again on his lap.

They weren't together, him and Hermione, although he bloody wished they were. She had been spending an ever-increasing amount of time with him since the accident and he found himself rather comforted by her regular presence in his life nowadays. They found a bond they never quite expected over books and the stories that were stuffed between the pages of them. On a regular occasion, once Fred was allowed to wander around and he had gotten steadier on his feet, he would enter the living room at the Burrow and sit beside Hermione with her feet on his lap just as they were that very Christmas Eve.

He felt her feet were rather cold across him thighs and so he moved one hand from holding the pages of his latest read and placed it on her sock-clad foot, moving his hand forward and back to try to rub some warmth into them. Not expecting this, Hermione wiggled her toes in response and he noticed a small smile cross her lips. She finally looked up at him and he shot her a grin.

"Hi," she breathed. Even Hermione had to admit that she wasn't blind to notice, Fred was completely dashing as people go. His smile always seemed to catch her off guard as the smile he gave her was somehow different to the one he gave to his mother or used to give to the teachers to swindle his way out of trouble. It was a different smile to the one he gave when he saw Ginny playing Quidditch. It was also entirely different to the one he has when he teases Ron. No, Hermione knew that this grin was especially for her. She had tried to deny to herself that she had feelings for the red-headed twin but as time went on, she found herself become more and more besotted with the man in every way possible.

He nodded his head to her, lips still stretched in that beautiful grin until he looked up and she literally watched the grin slide off his face. His cheeks flared bright red to match his hair and he began to stutter as he tried to articulate the problem.

"I-I-I mean-there appears to b-be-err," he gave up with a sigh and directed his gaze more pointedly this time, above their heads to the ceiling. Mistletoe. Hermione looked up and felt her own cheeks flare. Surely, he wasn't really going to. Sure, she felt something for him but it would be impossible for him to feel the same, wouldn't it? She held her breath unconsciously as she waited to see what exactly he would do.

Her question was answered rather nicely when he reached across her legs to turn her face by placing two fingers under her chin. Once she was looking at him, he winked and leant into her kissing her with everything he'd got hoping beyond hope that this wouldn't be the last time he would be able to kiss her.

She shifted herself, removing her feet from his lap and instead practically sitting in it, which wasn't very practical at all. She felt him smile against her lips as he tangled his fingers into her hair and sighed into her mouth. To him, everything fit like a very well made puzzle. Her cheek fit perfectly in his large hand as did her waist in his two. Her mouth seemed to fit against his as well, no awkward nose bumping or anything. They came together as if they had been doing so for years previous. Fred gently pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

"You have no idea how long I have been wanting to do that," he said breathlessly.

"I think I just might," she breathed, biting her lip slightly in a way that had always driven him mad.

"What do you say to us doing more of that from now often?"

"I wouldn't say no,"

"Be my girlfriend?"

"If you insist," she winked at him in his own trademark way. He chuckled deeply which she felt under her fingers resting against his shoulders.

"What do you say to us going up to your room and watching one of those muggle Christmas movies and start now?" He rubbed his thumb up and down her side as his hand held securely onto her waist. She closed her eyes at the sensation.

"Mmm, just one more chapter though," she mumbled contentedly. That caused him to chuckle once again.

"Really?"

Her eyes shot open and she grinned at him in a way that filled her face and made her brown eyes light like fireworks.

"No! Of course, not really! C'mon," she giggled taking his hand and leading him up the staircase that thankfully for them had not yet been re-enchanted. Cuddling with Hermione and muggle Christmas movies were two things Fred hadn't realised he was missing in his life until now and now he had it, he would never let anything come between them.


End file.
